In recent years, thousands to tens of thousands of servers are operated and managed at a large-scale data center. For installation of a large number of servers, user desires exist for efficiently assigning IP (internet protocol) addresses to the servers. In order to easily find failed nodes, there are also desires for capabilities of locating the server installation positions on the basis of the IP addresses.
The servers communicate with other servers via a network switch provided in a rack or the like. That is, the network switch serves as a network consolidation point. Thus, nowadays, in order to satisfy the desires described above, various technologies for managing the servers by using the network switch as a reference point are available.
An example of technologies for managing servers using a network switch as a reference point will now be described with reference to FIG. 12 through FIG. 15. A description below is given of a technology including an IP address assignment control apparatus that performs processing for assigning IP addresses to interfaces provided in calculation servers.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration including an IP address assignment control apparatus of related art.
In the system configuration of the related art, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 12, an IP address assignment control apparatus, a DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) server, and a network switch are connected with each other. The network switch is connected to at least one calculation server and serves as a calculation-server consolidation point. The network switch has ports #1 to #n, each having a port connected to a corresponding interface provided in each calculation server. The calculation server communicates with another calculation server, an external apparatus, and so on via the port.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration at a data center in the system including the IP address assignment control apparatus of the related art.
In the configuration at the data center in the system of the related art, for example, the network switch and the at least one calculation server, which are illustrated in FIG. 12, are consolidated in a rack, as illustrated in FIG. 13, and the network switch, the IP address assignment control apparatus, and the DHCP server are connected with each other. At the data center, a plurality of such racks is provided.
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of data held by the apparatuses of the related art.
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the IP address assignment control apparatus of the related art has a data structure in which port numbers for identifying the ports #1 to #n provided in the connected network switch and IP addresses for the interfaces of the calculation servers connected to the ports #1 to #n are associated with each other. As an example of the port numbers and the IP addresses, the IP address assignment control apparatus holds data in which a port number “1” and an IP address “192.168.1.11” are associated with each other.
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the DHCP server of the related art is connected to the calculation servers via the corresponding ports #1 to #n of the network switch. The DHCP server has a data structure in which IP addresses and MAC (media access control) addresses for the interfaces of the calculation servers are associated with each other. As an example of the MAC addresses and the IP addresses, the DHCP server holds data in which a MAC address “00:0A:EF:12:34:B4” and an IP address “192.168.1.11” are associated with each other.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of IP address assignment control processing of the related art.
As illustrated in FIG. 15, for example, the IP address assignment control apparatus has a data structure in which port numbers and IP addresses are associated with each other, and is connected with the network switch and the DHCP server. Data held by the IP address assignment control apparatus includes, for example, a port number “2” and an IP address “192.168.1.12”.
As illustrated in FIG. 15, for example, the DHCP server has a data structure in which MAC addresses and IP addresses are associated with each other, and is connected with the IP address assignment control apparatus and the network switch. A description below is given based on the assumption that the setting is at initial setting and thus the data structure of the DHCP server has no data.
As illustrated in FIG. 15, the calculation servers are connected to the network switch via the corresponding interfaces provided in the calculation servers and the corresponding ports #1 to #n provided in the network switch. A description below will be given of a case in which the calculation server connected to the port #2 of the network switch operates.
In the above-described configuration, as indicated by (1) in FIG. 15, the calculation server sends a DHCP request packet, for example, upon startup of the calculation server. The DHCP request packet contains a MAC address “00:0A:EF:12:56:7D” for the interface of the calculation server.
As indicated by (2) in FIG. 15, the network switch reports, to the IP address assignment control apparatus, the port number “2” of the port #2 and the MAC address “00:0A:EF:12:56:7D” contained in the DHCP request packet received via the port #2.
Subsequently, as indicated by (3) in FIG. 15, the IP address assignment control apparatus obtains an IP address “192.168.1.12” associated with the port number “2”. Thereafter, as indicated by (4) in FIG. 15, the IP address assignment control apparatus reports the obtained IP address “192.168.1.12” and the reported MAC address “00:0A:EF:12:56:7D” to the DHCP server and instructs the DHCP server so as to register the IP address and the MAC address.
Thereafter, as indicated by (5) in FIG. 15, the DHCP server stores, in the data structure, the MAC address “00:0A:EF:12:56:7D” and IP address “192.168.1.12” reported from the IP address assignment control apparatus. Subsequently, as indicated by (6) in FIG. 15, the DHCP server sends the corresponding IP address “192.168.1.12” to the calculation server via the port #2 as a DHCP response packet for the DHCP request packet containing the MAC address “00:0A:EF:12:56:7D”.
Not only does the calculation server corresponding to the port #2 perform the processing described above, but also other calculation servers perform processing as described above. Using the received IP address, each calculation server may communicate with another calculation server, an external apparatus, and so on to be connected.